Baun leads Juneau seniors over POW

Posted: Thursday, July 13, 2000

By THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

Bud Baun went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and three runs scored as Juneau's Gastineau Channel Little League Senior All-Stars claimed a 20-5 victory over Prince of Wales in Wednesday night's opening round of the District 2 (Southeast) baseball tournament in Sitka.

In Wednesday night's other game, Ketchikan blanked Sitka 8-0.

Juneau and Ketchikan play at 6 p.m. tonight in the tournament for players age 15-16 years old. If Juneau wins tonight, it will have a bye into Saturday's championship game of the double-elimination tournament, coach Mark Hickey said. But if Juneau loses tonight, it will play the Prince of Wales-Sitka winner on Friday.

Besides Baun, two other Juneau players drove in three runs - Dylan Hickey and Zach Kohan. Joe Ayers scored three runs and had two RBIs for Juneau and Brett Fairchild scored three times. Manuel Ford had a pinch-hit two-run single and Isaac Cadiente went 2-for-2 with two RBIs for Juneau. Ayers, Baun, David Coogan and Matt Freeman all hit doubles for Juneau. Kalon Meek was the winning pitcher for Juneau, with relief help from Kyle Lanz.

Jared Leichty led Prince of Wales by going 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored, while Harry Jackson had two RBIs and Jordan Savage went 2-for-3.The District 2 (Southeast Alaska) Junior Little League baseball tournament opens tonight at the Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park baseball field.

The tournament, for players 13-14 years old, opens play at 3 p.m. when Petersburg plays Wrangell. Opening ceremonies are at 6 p.m., and Juneau's Gastineau Channel Little League All-Stars play Ketchikan at 7 p.m. to wrap up tonight's games.

On Friday, Sitka plays the winner of the Petersburg-Wrangell game at 3 p.m. and Prince of Wales plays the winner of the Juneau-Ketchikan game at 6 p.m. Saturday's schedule features losers' bracket games at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., with Sunday's schedule featuring winners' bracket games at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. There will be one game on Monday at 6 p.m., and the championship game of the double-elimination tournament is 6 p.m. on Tuesday with an if-necessary game set for 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Last year, Juneau's Junior League all-star team captured the district, state and Pacific Northwest regional titles before losing in the championship game of the Western Division tournament in New Mexico, missing the national tournament by one game. This year's Juneau team is coached by Larry Neal, Chip Mixson and Ray Gorley.

``I don't know if the regional champions can repeat the success of the 1999 Juneau team, but we have plenty of talented players this year,'' said Jim O'Donnell, the president of Gastineau Channel Little League. ``In fact, the future of high school baseball in Southeast Alaska will be on display in this tournament.''